Recovery hook assembly

ABSTRACT

A towable hook assembly for acquiring and capturing a line streamed within water with a ball stop mounted thereon is disclosed as having a barrel with a pair of bores therethrough separated by an apertured wall, with the aperture thereof in alignment with said pair of bores. A first slot extends through the entire length of the side wall of said barrel in such manner as to be in communication with said pair of bores and said aperture, and a second slot extends through the side of said barrel, so as to be in communication with the rearward one of said pair of bores at a predetermined distance from the rear face of said wall. A fin having a cam at the forward upper end thereof is hinged for rotation in such manner with respect to said barrel as to allow the cam thereof to protrude through said second slot when rotationally urged by rearward drag thereon as a result of the tension being released from the tow line thereof, as said hook assembly is towed through said water, sea water, or other appropriate ambient fluid mediums.

GR 397889262 SR United States Patent [191 1 Jan. 29, 1974 Roberts RECOVERY HOOK ASSEMBLY [75] Inventor: Donald W; Roberts, Panama City,

Fla.

[73] Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy, Washington, DC.

[22] Filed: Dec. 4, 1972 Appl. No.: 311,583

[52] US. Cl 114/235 R [51] Int. Cl B63b 21/00 [58] Field of Search258/1.2, 1.4; 114/221 R, 235 R;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,973,719 9/1934 Lake 114/235 UX 2,589,312 3/1952 Wilcoxon 114/235 R 3,022,763 2/1962 Turrentine 114/221 R Primary Examiner-Trygve M. Blix Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Richard S. Sciascia et a1.

ABSTRACT embly for acquiring and capturing "awake? with a ball stop mounted thereon is disclosed as having a barrel with a pair of bores therethr'ough separated by an apertured wall, with the aperture thereof in alignment with said pair of bores. A first slot extends through the entire length of the side wall of said barrel in such manner as to be in communication with said pair of bores and said aperture, and a second slot extends through the side of said barrel, so as to be in communication with the rearward one of said pair of bores at a predetermined distance from the rear face of said wall. A fin having a cam at the forward upper end thereof is hinged for rotation in such manner with respect to said barrel as to allow the cam thereof to protrude through said second slot when rotationally urged by rearward drag thereon as a result of the tension being released from the tow line thereof, as said hook assembly is towed through said water, sea water, or other appropriate ambient fluid mediums.

12 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures RECOVERY HOOK ASSEMBLY STATEMENT OF GOVERNMENT INTEREST The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for Governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION In general, the present invention pertains to recovery wire, line, cable, etc., to which it is connected when towed thereby through water, sea water, and other fluid mediums.

. DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART Heretofore, various and sundry methods and means were employed to retrieve helicopter-towed mine countermeasures gear and other apparatus and put or store it on board a ship. For example, floats and buoys were attached to the tow line, which line was then dropped over the recovery ship by hovering the helicopter thereover, thereby effecting a manual transfer of the gear from the helicopter to the ship. Also, grapnels were placed at intervals on diverted wires towed by the ship and then the ship was run in such manner as to cause one or more of the grapnels to hook the helicopter-towed cable and the gear attached thereto. None of the methods and means tried prior to the testing of the instant invention were satisfactory, as far as the Navy was concerned. For instance, in the former situation, the retrieval was burdensome, costly, had

large power requirements, and severely limited the size of the cable and towed countermeasures gear capable of being retrieved; and in the latter situation, the grapnels were difficult to install, requiring that a stop device be installed on the wire to be retrieved each time gear was streamed. Moreover, installation of the hook had to be accomplished outboard of the retrieving ships stern, thereby causing personnel to be subjected to considerable hazard, especially on rough seas during bad weather. In addition to being hard to install and remove, the grapnel hook is not compatible with all types of airborne mine countermeasures gear. Accordingly, all of the known prior art has, to date, left a great deal to be desired.

SUMMARY OF, THE INVENTION mowed within watg b means of a tow cable.

4' 2- .v. waged Another object of this invention is to provide gn irnproved hook assembly.

Still afiStitEiHtY EFSf this invention is to provide an improved airborne mine countermeasures recovery hook assembly.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved ball-stop hook system.

A further object of this invention is to provide a ballstop and cable hook means that may be winched aboard ship without impairment thereof.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a safe means for implementing the transfer of airborne mine countermeasure gear from a helicopter-towed disposition to a shipboard disposition.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved hydrodynamically fin -guided hook means which facilitates the engagement and hooking of a wire to be recovered by effecting and maintaining an optimum orientation with respect thereto while being towed through water, sea water, or other suitable fluid mediums.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an improved hook that may be easily and swiftly installed and removed from both tow and retrieved lines.

Another object of this invention is to provide a unique hook assembly that need only be installed on a tow line at the time it is to be used.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved hydrodynamically controlledhookthat facilitates the capture of a ball-stop mounted on the end of a tow wire safely, reliably, and without damage thereto.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved hook assembly and system that is compatible with all known airborne mine countermeasure gear and which facilitates the transfer thereof from one place to another, such as, for example, from an aircraft towed disposition to a predetermined shipboard or other disposition.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages will be readily appreciated as the subject invention becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description, when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 depicts, partially in cross-section and partially in elevation, a view of the hook assembly of the subject invention;

FIG. 2 is an end view of the hook assembly of FIG.

FIG. 3 is an end view of the barrel and pad eye assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a view taken at section AA of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a view, with parts broken away, of the cam I and upper fin assembly of the hook assembly of FIGS.

1 and 2;

FIG. 6 is an end view of the fin and cam assembly of FIGS. 1 and 2, which illustrates in greater detail the exemplarily angle effectively existing between the fin and cam thereof;

FIG. 7 shows a top view of a system incorporating the invention, wherein the invention is being employed to retrieve a marine mine countermeasures system;

FIG. 8 is a combination block and schematic diagram which shows the typical hook-ball stop arrangement that comes into play during the marine mine countermeasures retrieval operation of FIG. 7.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to FIGS. 1 through 6 of the drawing, a hook assembly 10 constituting this invention is shown as having a barrel 11 with a first hole 12 of predetermined diameter extending partially therethrough and centered about the longitudinal axis 13 thereof. A slot 14 extends the length of barrel 11 and through the side wall thereof in such manner as to effect a passageway into or communication with hole 12. The width of slot 14 should be sufficient to allow a cable or wire 15 to be inserted therethrough and into the aforementioned hole 12. In the forward end of barrel 11 best seen as the right hand end of barrel 11 in FIG. 1 is a stop wall 16 with a hole or aperture 17 through the center thereof of such diameter as will allow wire 15 to extend therethrough. Still another hole 18 in alignment with the aforesaid holes 12 and 17 is located in the front end of barrel 11, and a plastic bushing 19, made of teflon or some such wear resistant material, is installed within hole 18 in contact with the front side of wall 16. Another hole or passageway 20 extends through the nose of barrel 11, and a pair of pins 21 and 22 are press fitted or otherwise secured therein and in contact with bushing 19 in such manner as to effect retention thereof in hole 18.

The front end of barrel 11 preferably contains a beveled surface 23, or is otherwise streamlined to reduce the drag thereof whenever it is towed through water or some other environmental fluid medium. Likewise, the rear end thereof may be beveled 24 somewhat for the same purpose.

Welded thereto and extending from the bottom of barrel 11 is a pair of parallel pad eyes 25 and 26 which have a pair of aligned holes 27 and 28 extending therethrough, respectively, as best seen in FIGS. 3 and 4.

Before further describing the hook assembly of this invention, it would perhaps be noteworthy at this time that a pair of rings 29 and 30 are swaged on wire 15 in such manner that the forward one thereof will be in abutment with the rear face of wall 16 and the rearward one thereof will be located near the rear end of barrel 11 when they and cable 15 are inserted therein so that the subject portable hook assembly is installed thereon, as will be discussed more fully subsequently.

Located in the bottom of barrel 11 between pad eyes 25 and 26 is another slot 31. Slot 31 is elongated somewhat and provides a passageway into or communication with barrel hole 12 directly behind ring 30 when tow wire 15 is disposed in said barrel 11, for reasons which will be discussed more fully below.

A hydrodynamic fin assembly 32 has an elevating, preferably angled, fin 33 connected to an intermediate support section 34, the latter of which is connected to a bearing section 35 containing a hole 36 therethrough. At the forward end of bearing section 35, is a cam surface 37, which protrudes through slot 31 in such manner as to prevent forward swaged ring 30 from traveling rearward, thereby preventing the subject hook assem bly 10 from inadvertently coming off of tow wire 15 once it is installed thereon. Of course, for cam 37 to be effective for such purpose, fin assembly 32 must be pivotally mounted between pad eyes 25 and 25 by means of threaded bolt 38 extending through hole 36 and secured by nut 39, with a cotter pin 41 inserted in a hole 42 through the end of bolt 38, as is conventional to prevent nut 39 from coming loose and falling off bolt 38 during operations.

As best seen in FIGS. 2 and 6, fin 33 extends from support section 34 at an angle. Although, in general, it has been found that, if said angle is 5 (as shown), elevating fin 33 will provide hydrodynamic control of the entire hook assembly sufficiently to be effective; on the other hand, it should be understood that any other angle may be substituted therefor that will provide the fin-control results desired during any given operational circumstances. Obvisouly, it would be well within the purview of the artisan having the benefit of the teachings presented herewith to select whatever angle would provide optimum hook assembly control for any specific tow situation.

Attached to the right side that is, the starboard side of support section 34 of fin assembly 32, as by welding or the like, is a horseshoe shaped hook 43. The size and configuration of hook 43 may likewise be designed by the artisan to be complementary with the cable and ball stop arrangement of the airborne mine countermeasures or other system to be retrieved.

As previously indicated, FIG. 7 discloses the apparatus and operational procedure involved when using the hook assembly systems of FIGS. 1 through 6. It should be understood, however, that it is exemplary only, and that other operational procedures incorporating the subject invention may be used and will work equally well for the same or other purposes.

Shown in FIG. 7 is a recovery ship 51 to which is attached a powered winch 52 to which, in turn, is attached a recovery wire 53. Mounted at intervals on wire 53 during recovery operations is a plurality of hook assemblies 10 of the type described above. At the tail end of wire 53 is an otter 55 for providing geometrical configuration control of wire 53, and a control and marker float 56 is likewise effectively connected to recovery wire 53 by any suitable line 57 or the like. In this operational example, a helicopter 58 is towing a cable 59, to which marine mine sweeping gear 61 is connected at the rear end thereof. Tow cable 59 is connected to helicopter 58 by means ofa latch 62, and adjacent to the latch end thereof is a ball stop 63, which the aforementioned hook 10 engages during retrieval operations.

FIG. 8 best shows a rather specific hook-ball stop engagement condition in a rather generalized retrieval arrangement. Hence, hook 43 is shown in pick-up engagement with ball stop 64, the latter of which is securely mounted on and attached to a tow cable 65, which, in turn, is connected through a releasable latch 66 to any appropriate tow vehicle 67 (such as, perhaps, helicopter 58 of FIG. 7, for example). At the other end of tow cable 65 is attached any suitable utilization apparatus 68 (such as, for instance, minesweeping gear 61 of FIG. 7). Moreover, any suitable recovery type of apparatus 69 may be connected to and associated with the subject hook assembly in general and, thus, effectively to hook 4-3 in particular.

MODE OF OPERATION The operation of the invention will now be discussed briefly in conjunction with all of the figures of the drawing.

As best shown in FIG. 7, the subject recovery hook assembly is a lightweight, high strength hook assembly that is primarily intended to be used during an air-toship transfer of airborne countermeasures gear. Of course, although the presently disclosed preferred embodiment is used to an advantage in such air-to-ship transfer activities, it should be understood that it may also be used to an advantage in conjunction with numerous other types of gear, instrumentation, devices, and the like, or other retrieval systems, regardless of their purpose. Hence, the embodiment of the invention disclosed herein is not disclosed by way of limitation but, instead, is disclosed by way of representative example.

During marine mine sweeping operations it has been determined that the sweeping of mines may be expedited by towing the sweeping gear with a cable attached to a helicopter, which, of course, provides motive power therefor. Hence, said cable and minesweeping apparatus are towed through the water believed to be mined with marine mines.

Once the minesweeping process is complete, it becomes a problem of how to best retrieve the mine sweeping gear. It has been determined that the optimum way to do that is to have a ship 51 tow a long cable 53 to which is attached a plurality of hook assemblies of the type constituting the instant invention and depicted in FIGS. 1 through 6.

Attachment of the hook assemblies is made easy as a result of the unique construction thereof. For example, as cable 53 is paid out from winch 52, barrel 11 is, by means of slot 14, slipped over cable 53 (cable 15 as shown in F IG. 1) and allowed to come to reset with the rear surface of internal wall 16 against ring 30 swaged on said cable. At such time, ring 29, due to its having been properly positioned at the correct distance from ring 30, also rides within hole 12 of barrel 11, thereby providing a rearward barrel holding and positioning member with respect to cable 53 (or 15, as illustrated in FIG. 1).

Once they are mounted on cable 53, hook assemblies 10 are streamed across cable 59, the cable to be retrieved. Pin 33 hydrodynamically maintains the subject hook assembly in an orientation and attitude within the water that facilitates its hooking said cable 59 when towed thereagainst after which it slides therealong until it contacts ball top 63. Of course, shortly after hook 43 acquires cable 59, but just before it contacts and captures ball stop 63, latch 62 is opened, so as to release the mine countermeasures towing cable and any other gear connected thereto.

Once the minesweeping gear has been acquired that is, once ball stop 65 has been captured by hook 43 cable 53 is winched on to recovery ship 51, where each hook assembly is easily removed therefrom by human operators immediately prior to the remainder of the system being wound on the winch drum as desired for storage purposes.

Removal of hook assemblies 10 from wire 53 is easily accomplished by manually rotating fin assembly 32 so that cam 37 no longer protrudes through slot 31. Then, wire 53 is moved rearward with respect to barrel 11 until rings 29 and 30 are freed therefrom, after whichcable 53 is slid out of side slot 14.

From the foregoing, it may readily be seen that the hook assembly constituting the subject invention is a considerable improvement over the prior art, especially asqu g, and .sapti tin 19 .fitte m Within Wat r 1h... ab 11 thereon, comprising in combination:

barrel means having a front end and a rear end; I

a first bore, having a first predetermined diameter, extending a first predetermined distance through said barrel means from the rear end thereof and along the longitudinal axis thereof;

a wall located within said barrel means in contiguous disposition with the front end of said first bore and normal to the longitudinal axis thereof;

a second bore, having a second predetermined diameter that is less than the aforesaid first predetermined diameter, extending through said wall and the remaining forward portion of said barrel means in such manner as to be in aligned communication with said first bore;

first slot located through the wall of said barrel means along the entire length thereof in such manner as to be in communication with the aforesaid first and second bores;

a second slot located through the wall of said barrel means in such manner as to be in communication with said first bore at a predetermined distance rearward of said wall;

rotatable fin means;

cam means integrally connected to said rotatable fin means at the forward end thereof;

hook means connected to the side of said rotatable fin means in such manner as to extend normally therefrom; and

means connected between said barrel means and said fin means for allowing the rotation thereof in such manner as to cause said cam means to extend through said second slot a predetermined distance to the rear of said wall.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said hook means connected to the side of said rotatable fin means in such manner as to extend normally therefrom includes a substantially horseshoe shaped hook with the open end thereof disposed in a downwardly direction.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said means connected between said barrel means and said fin means for allowing the rotation thereof in such manner as to cause said cam means to extend through said second slot a predetermined distance to the rear of said wall comprises:

a pair of spatially and parallel disposed pad eyes connected to said barrel means adjacent to opposite sides of said second slot and slidably disposed with the opposite sides of said rotatable fin means, respectively, with each thereof having a hole therethrough that is in alignment with the other and a similar hole located in said rotatable fin means;

a bolt having a threaded end inserted through the holes of said pad eyes and said fin means; and

a nut screwed and effectively locked on the threaded end of said bolt.

4. The system of claim 1, further characterized by means integrally connected to said barrel means for the streamlining thereof.

5. The system of claim 1, further characterized by a pair of beveled surfaces integrally connected to the ends of said barrel means, respectively.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said rotatable fin means comprises:

a bearing section having a hole therethrough; and

a fin connected to and extending from said bearing section at a predetermined angle with respect to the plane thereof.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said predetermined angle is five degrees.

8. The device of claim 1, further characterized by:

a tow cable extending through said first and second M bores; Mm

a first ring w age d on said tow cable at such location -"as ttTbe disposed within said first bore between the rear face of said wall and the cam surface of said cam means; and

a second ring swaged on said tow cable at such locabarrel means whenever said first ring is in abutment with the rear face of said wall. 9. The system of claim 8, further characterized by means for controlling the geometrical configuration of said tow cable as it is being towed through water for the purpose of acquiring and capturing said line with a-ball stop mounted thereon.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said means for controlling the geometrical configuration of said tow cable as it is being towed through water for the purpose of acquiring and capturing said line with a ball stop mounted thereon comprises:

a tow vehicle effectively connected to the frontend EfEaIdYOW cable;

an otter connected to the rear end of said tow cable;

and y afloat connected to said two cable at a predetermined location that is between said tow vehicle and said otter.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein said tow vehicle is a ship.

12. The system of claim tow further characterized by a winclirr'r'i'itifntedjon saidtow vehicleand connected to tion as to be disposed within said first bore subsaid tow cable for the reeling thereof thereon.

stantially adjacent to the rear end of the aforesaid 

1. A system for acquiring and capturing a line streamed within water with a ball stop mounted thereon, comprising in combination: barrel means having a front end and a rear end; a first bore, having a first predetermined diameter, extending a first predetermined distance through said barrel means from the rear end thereof and along the longitudinal axis thereof; a wall located within said barrel means in contiguous disposition with the front end of said first bore and normal to the longitudinal axis thereof; a second bore, having a second predetermined diameter that is less than the aforesaid first predetermined diameter, extending through said wall and the remaining forward portion of said barrel means in such manner as to be in aligned communication with said first bore; a first slot located through the wall of said barrel means along the entire length thereof in such manner as to be in communication with the aforesaid first and second bores; a second slot located through the wall of said barrel means in such manner as to be in communication with said first bore at a predetermined distance rearward of said wall; rotatable fin means; cam means integrally connected to said rotatable fin means at the forward end thereof; hook means connected to the side of said rotatable fin means in such manner as to extend normally therefrom; and means connected between said barrel means and said fin means for allowing the rotation thereof in such manner as to cause said cam means to extend through said second slot a predetermined distance to the rear of said wall.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein said hook means connected to the side of said rotatable fin means in such manner as to extend normally therefrom includes a substantially horseshoe shaped hook with the open end thereof disposed in a downwardly direction.
 3. The system of claim 1, wherein said means connected between said barrel means and said fin means for allowing the rotation thereof in such manner as to cause said cam means to extend through said second slot a predetermined distance to the rear of said wall comprises: a pair of spatially and parallel disposed pad eyes connected to said barrel means adjacent to opposite sides of said second slot and slidably disposed with the opposite sides of said rotatable fin means, respectively, with each thereof having a hole therethrough that is in alignment with the other and a similar hole located in said rotatable fin means; a bolt having a threaded end inserted through the holes of said pad eyes and said fin means; and a nut screwed and effectively locked on the threaded end of said bolt.
 4. The system of claim 1, further characterized by means integrally connected to said barrel means for the streamlining thereof.
 5. The system of claim 1, further characterized by a pair of beveled surfaces integrally connected to the ends of said barrel means, respectively.
 6. The system of claim 1, wherein said rotatable fin means comprises: a bearing section having a hole therethrough; and a fin connected to and extending from said bearing section at a predetermined angle with respect to the plane thereof.
 7. The system of claim 6, wherein said predetermined angle is five degrees.
 8. The device of claim 1, further characterized by: a tow cable extending through said first and second bores; a first ring swaged on said tow cable at such location as to be disposed within said first bore between the rear face of said wall and the cam surface of said cam means; and a second ring swaged on said tow cable at such location as to be disposed within said first bore substantially adjacent to the rear end of the aforesaid barrel means whenever said first ring is in abutment with the rear face of said wall.
 9. The system of claim 8, further characterized by means for controlling the geometrical configuration of said tow cable as it is being towed through water for the purpose of acquiring and capturing said line with a ball stop mounted thereon.
 10. The system of claim 9, wherein said means for controlling the geometrical configuration of said tow cable as it is being towed through water for the purpose of acquiring and capturing said line with a ball stop mounted thereon comprises: a tow vehicle effectively connected to the front end of said tow cable; an otter connected to the rear end of said tow cable; and a float connected to said two cable at a predetermined location that is between said tow vehicle and said otter.
 11. The device of claim 10, wherein said tow vehicle is a ship.
 12. The system of claim tow further characterized by a winch mounted on said tow vehicle and connected to said tow cable for the reeling thereof thereon. 